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A restraining order has been placed on eight properties belonging to an Auckland couple allegedly running a cheating service for tertiary students, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority says.

The orders were placed against the properties connected to Steven Quan Li and his wife Fan Yang in the High Court at Auckland after Justice Sarah Katz ruled there were reasonable grounds to believe criminal activity that benefited the couple had occurred there.

The bank accounts of the couples' three companies involved - Assignment4U Consultant Ltd, Atan Ltd, and Ateama Ltd - indicated each had received numerous deposits from third parties with accompanying references to "assignment", "essay fee" or something similar.